Refractory article and process of making it.



N TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK M. BEGKET, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTEDMETALLURGICAL COMPANY, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF WESTVIRGINIA.

No Drawing. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed .Tune 23, 1911.

Patented Sept. 17, 1912.

Serial No. 634,907. I

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK M. Bnonn'r, asubject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Niagara Falls, in thecounty of Niagara and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Refractory Articles and Processes of Making Them,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the production of a refractory compositearticle suitable for furnace linings, firebrick, crucibles, or theelectrodes or resistors of electric furnaces.

The article comprises a body and an adherent facing reduced from saidbody, specifically a body of mixed titanium oxid and carbon, and anadherent facing of titanium carbid. In producing this article, amixtureof rutile, or other metal compound, and carbon, is molded to the desiredshape. The surface of the article is then heated to the reduction-pointof the oxid or compound, thereby reducing the surficial portion of thebody and producing a carbid of the reduced metal. A porous facing may beproduced at a relatively low temperature and then brought to a highertemperature, for example by an electric arc, to render the facing dense,homogeneous and uniform. When composite blocks or plates of thischaracter are used for the linings of electric furnaces, they may beprovided with the usual water-jackets, maintaining the back of thelining cool and preventing reduction from proceeding inward beyond thefacing.

I claim:

1. A refractory article,comprising a body containing a reduciblecompound, and an adherent facing reduced from said body.

'2. 'A refractory article, comprising an oxid body, and anadherentfacing of a reduction-product of said oxid.

3. A refractory article, comprising a body of mixed metal oxid andcarbon, and an adherent facing of a metal carbid reduced from said body.

4. A refractory article, comprising a body and a facing of titaniumcarbid distinct from but adherent to said body.

5. A refractory article, comprising a body of mixed titanium oxid andcarbon, and an adherent facing of titanium carbid reduced from saidbody.

6. The process of producing a refractory article, which consists insuperficially reducing the surface of a refractory body containing areducible compound.

7. The process of producing a refractory article, which consists insuperficially reducing and carburizing the surface of a refractory bodycontaining a reducible compound.

8. The process of producing a refractory article, which consists inheating to the reduction-point the surface of a coherent body of a mixedmetal compound and carbon.

9. The process of producing a refractory article, which consists inheatlng to the reduction-point the surface of a coherent body of a mixedmetal compound and an exce of carbon. r

10. A furnace having a lining the exposed portions of which consist oftitanium carbid.

11. A furnace having a lining consisting of blocks having an adherentfacing of titanium carbid.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- FREDERICK M. BECKET.

Witnesses:

J. N. DEINHABDT, D. Boneless. I

